Sun and Neptune walked through Beacon Academy's halls. They couldn't help but overhear the chatter of students and the occasional cheering match in practice rooms. The sunlight was streaming strongly, making the whole place warm.

Neptune likes his friend Sun, but sometimes, keeping up with his eccentric personality is complicated. Granted, he is not the only one like that in his team of four, but he considered himself the most grounded of all.

Sun was talking about how he met this beautiful cat Faunus, and how cool they were while fighting the White Fang. All of that was all right and believable, but what about girls who pushed airplanes down with only their hands and others who could cut such airplanes in half? That's just too much unless those were not students but some sort of hidden Atlassian secret robot project or something like that. But maybe Scarlet would prefer something more fantasy than Sci-Fi.

"They are totally cool, so don't make look bad in front of them," said Sun for the hundred time. Neptune only smirked and nodded. From the moment Sun met him in the airport, Sun hasn't stopped talking about such girls from team RWBY.

"And Vale is also a great place," Sun continued, stretching his arms behind his head. "Nice weather, good food, and tons of cool people."

Neptune smirked. "And, of course, a bunch of cute girls."

Sun rolled his eyes but smiled. He knew where Neptune's mind was going, and sure enough, as they rounded a corner, they spotted a particular group of girls standing by a bench in the courtyard.

"Speak of the devil," Neptune muttered, his eyes locking onto the unmistakable quartet of Team NCCL walking together.

Neptune's eyes immediately lit up as he saw Lupusregina, her braided red hair shimmering in the sunlight, and maybe for the first time in his life, Neptune ended with his mouth open while only looking at her. He nudged Sun with his elbow. "Now, that's a group worth getting to know. Think they'll be interested in us?"

Sun paused, rubbing the back of his neck, a slight frown forming on his face. "Uh, Neptune… maybe you should give them some space. They can be pretty intense sometimes. Trust me on this." He glanced nervously at the group of girls, clearly remembering past encounters with them.

Neptune blinked, taken aback by Sun's sudden warning. "Oh, um... yeah. Wait, you know them?" he asked cautiously.

"Yeah, more or less," Sun replied with a nonchalant shrug. "We kinda know each other, I think. And... well, let's just say they're not the easiest group to get along."

That only made Neptune more determined. "Challenge accepted!" Before Sun could stop him, Neptune confidently strode toward Team NCCL, leaving Sun no choice but to follow.

With a deep breath, he stepped forward, attempting to project confidence. "Hello, Ladies!" he called out cheerfully. "My name's Neptune, Neptune Vasilias at your service. It's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful team." Sun groaned internally.

Chizu was the first to talk. "Oh, the banana thief," said the gynoid while pointing at Sun.

Sun flashed an awkward smile and gave a half-hearted wave. "Hey! My friend here wanted to say hi and meet you all."

Chizu remained with her poker face, Neia raised an eyebrow, Clementine yawned, and Lupusregina crossed her arms, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Sun bit his lip, bracing for what was to come.

Neptune, clearly emboldened, focused on Lupusregina. "And you, my fiery goddess, are the radiant sun in this already bright day. Mind if I ask how someone as stunning as you isn't constantly surrounded by admirers?"

Lupus chuckled, looking him up and down. "Oh, I have my share of admirers, believe me. But I prefer quality over quantity. Do tell, what brings you here? Because I think you'd fit better in a clothes store than a huntsmen academy. Are you sure you're not skipping out on your weight training?"

Sun cringed internally but admired Neptune's tenacity.

Neptune, without admitting defeat, laughed along, brushing off the comment with a flick of his hair. "What can I say? I'm more about agility and fitness than brute strength."

Lupusregina leaned closer, her golden eyes gleaming with amusement. "Well, then let's hope your fitness can keep up with strong hits. We wouldn't want to lose any potential entertainment."

Neptune gulped but managed to maintain his grin. "Well, that depends… Would they be love taps or the real deal?"

Lupusregina laughed openly at his audacity. "Oh, I like you. But just remember, if you ever do end up fighting one of us, don't blame me when you find yourself on the losing side."

Neia sighed and chimed in, "Would you please stop flirting in the public area?"

Chizu nodded. "The mission we were entrusted with is to become huntresses, not to create them." Sun, Neptune, and Neia blushed at the comment.

Sun finally stepped forward, trying to salvage the situation. "Yeah, so, uh, we're just passing through, and I thought Neptune could use some pointers on not getting his butt kicked. But it looks like you two are getting along… somehow."

Lupusregina smiled playfully. "We're getting along just fine."

Neptune grinned, pointing to himself. "Maybe a bit more?"

"Just be careful, Blue Boy," Lupu warned playfully, patting him on the shoulder. "Or else I might just get carried away and turn you into one of my many victims. Accidents happen."

As the group continued to banter, Sun sighed in relief, believing that despite his initial concerns, Neptune had actually managed to charm Lupus, at least a little.

But as he watched Neptune exchange flirtatious remarks while Lupu kept making jokes about him, Sun couldn't help but think that this was only the beginning of a long headache.

With a final exchange of goodbyes and a promise to hang out later, Sun and Neptune walked away, Neptune beaming from ear to ear.

"See, I told you I could handle it," Neptune boasted.

Sun chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

"Warn me? About what?"

"About getting in over your head. Those girls are way tougher than they look."

Neptune smirked, clearly unbothered. "Tougher? Maybe. But that just makes it more fun." Sun couldn't do anything but sight.

Neptune put his hands behind his head and started walking while Sun was at his side. "So," Neptune talked again, "How did you meet them?"

Sun smirked now, "Who?"

"The girls," replied Neptune, and Sun's smirk grew wider.

"Which girls? Can you tell me their names?" asked Sun.

Neptune opened his mouth but said nothing. He kept thinking, but still nothing. Sun then patted him on the back.

"You'll have the time to ask them later. Anyhow, let's first talk with the team I was talking about before," said Sun.

Neptune nodded, defeated, but he recovered right away, "about the cat faunus girl, right?"

"Yes! But keep it a secret," said Sun right away.

Neptune smiled and nodded, "My lips are sealed."

Suddenly, a group of students started to run away from one direction, the same direction they were walking in. Neptune wanted to say something, but Sun only walked as if nothing wrong was happening.

"You'll really love them, they are…"

Suddenly, a wave of soda hit Neptune, and as if those sodas were paint, his image was now filled with color. Sun and Neptune watched how the whole dining hall was a war zone and used to have the most ridiculous food fights ever.

Suddenly, behind them, a blonde professor appeared; she growled at the scene in front of her and raised one hand to stop food from hitting her. Then, with a wave of her other hand, she activated her Semblance and restored order to the whole dining hall.

"Children, please. Do not play with your food," said the blond professor. Those words seem to have calmed down the 8 students who were part of the food fight.

The door of the dining hall opened again, and the headmaster of Beacon entered.

"Are those your friends?" asked Neptune, still painted with the sodas.

Sun nodded with a smile, and then he saw Neptune. "They are cool, I am telling you… they just didn't see you there."

"Yeah, yeah," said Neptune, trying to clean himself. "Maybe we can meet them in another moment. They are being scolded by that teacher right now," Neptune then tried to clean his red jacket, but the paint only spread. "And clean myself to give a good impression."

Sun was about to argue, but the loud, disappointed groan of the students who were scolded made him think twice, "Yeah, maybe tomorrow will be a better time. Come on, let's go to our room."

/

Qrow arrived at Patch and was in front of the Xiao Long house. He sighed and put his hand in the door, but he hesitated, and instead of opening the door or knocking, he took a flask from his vest and drank from it. After swallowing some alcohol, he felt more confident and knocked on the door.

Taiyang opened the door and saw Qrow standing there. "What brings you here?" he asked, clearly surprised by the unexpected visitor. He thought he also wanted to speak with him.

"Hey Tai! Can we talk inside?" Qrow replied, walking past Tai towards the living room.

Taiyang only looked at him and sighed. He moved away inside the house, and Qrow followed him, closing the door after entering.

Qrow entered and sat in one chair in the dining room and took his flask of alcohol, but Taiyang stopped him and handed him a glass of orange juice.

Qrow rolled his eyes but accepted the juice, but when Taiyang gave him his back, he spiked it with alcohol from his flask.

Taiyang sat in front of him, and there was silence for a couple of seconds.

Qrow was about to talk, but Taiyang spoke first. "It's good that you visited. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Without knowing about what his friend wanted to talk about, Qrow just felt relieved that he had a little more time to think about how to talk with his friend.

"Do you remember all your missions?" asked Taiyang.

Qrow frowned, surprised by the question. "Ah, yes. I guess so. The alcohol doesn't really erase your memory, you know. That's only an excuse for people to not assume responsibility."

"Right," said Taiyang, glancing at him, then he continued. "Do you remember any mission in Vacuo regarding a religious group leading a village? Or something similar?"

Qrow's frown went deeper, not knowing why he had asked him that, but he still tried to make memories. "Yeah, I remember one. A village that has a priest as a leader. They accepted all the orphans around, and being in Vacuo, well, the number was big. They had quite big publicity back in the day, and many companies were donating to them."

Taiyang nodded slowly, and Qrow continued. "Ozpin wanted to keep an eye on them. He had a suspicion that they were worshipping the Grim Queen. But I was not tasked to check on them."

"Really?" asked Taiyang.

Qrow sipped his orange juice. "I was there on a recognition and localization mission. So, I just went twice. When I find it, and when it was destroyed." Qrow sipped his juice again, "a shame really. They may have been Salem religious freaks, but their waitresses were perfect 10s."

Taiyang face palmed, and groaned.

"What?" asked Qrow, still not knowing the reason for the questions.

"Do you remember the waitress? How does she look like, or something?" asked Taiyang, and Qrow spit the juice he was drinking.

"What? You… What?"

Taiyang looked at Qrow with serious eyes, but Qrow was still gobsmacked by the question. "Ah… I don't remember… A blonde, I guess, or silver-haired, kind of like that, I guess. I can't remember."

Taiyang sighed heavily with his hands on his face. "Qrow".

"Sorry, I had a small crush on Glynda at that moment."

"Qrow!", wined Taiyang.

"What?"

"Give me your flask."

Qrow grabbed his flask, gave it to him, and then took a big sip.

Qrow didn't respond right away, his eyes down on the table. He knew that he had to speak to Taiyang about his news, but he didn't know how to start. The same happened to Taiyang, as the blonde just exhaled deeply. Both men looked like they had aged in an instant.

"You recovered real quick," blurted Qrow.

Taiyang blinked, "What?"

"After Raven left," Qrow continued, his voice low. He did not know how to start so he said the first thing that came to his mind. "Raven. You didn't… dwell on it long, did you?"

Taiyang's frown deepened in confusion. "Qrow, where is this-" "You moved on." Qrow cut him off as his words were blurted out before he could stop them.

Qrow lifted his eyes to meet Taiyang's, and there was a weight in them, an accusation that he wasn't entirely comfortable voicing. "I mean, you didn't let it get to you for too long. It wasn't… long before you and Summer… you know…"

Taiyang's face hardened, and the room suddenly felt smaller. He leaned forward in his seat, "Qrow, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm not trying to… look, I'm just saying," Qrow continued, now more flustered, but the edge in his voice stayed. "Raven left, and it wasn't that long before Summer was… here. And then you had Ruby."

"Are you accusing me of something?" Taiyang's voice grew rough while his frown deepened.

"I'm not accusing you of anything!" Qrow snapped back, then immediately softened. "Tai, I just… I don't get it. Raven left, and I know that was hard on you—hell, it was hard on me too. But you… you just bounced back like it was nothing. And then Summer…" He paused, struggling to find the right words. "I don't know. It felt like Raven didn't even matter anymore." He sighed at the idea that maybe that was why she left.

Taiyang's hands clenched into fists on the table, his patience visibly thinning. "You think I just forgot her? That I didn't care?"

Qrow shook his head quickly, lifting a hand as if to calm the situation before it could explode. "That's not what I'm saying, Tai. I know you cared. But you moved on so damn fast. You remarried and had another kid. It's just… agh."

For a long moment, Taiyang was silent. His face had darkened, barely restraining his anger. "What Raven did… leaving like that… it hurt. But I had to keep going. I had to live for Yang, for me." His voice was firm. "And Summer… she was there for us, for Yang... I didn't plan it that way. It just happened."

Qrow exhaled, his throat dry. He could see he was pushing too far, but he wasn't done yet. He couldn't be, not after what he'd just found out.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't just you who Raven left," Qrow muttered. "She left us all. But that's not why I'm telling this, Tai."

Taiyang's eyes narrowed. "Then what the hell is this about?"

Qrow swallowed, trying to find the right way to say it, but there was no easy way. His voice was quieter now, more measured. "I found out something. About Raven… after she left you."

Taiyang's frown disappeared when his eyebrows rose as his eyes widened. "What?"

"I don't have all the details, but it seems…" Qrow said slowly. "She… Tai she had a daughter. After you."

The silence that followed was suffocating. Taiyang stared at Qrow. He wasn't moving any muscle. He just stared at Qrow with wide eyes.

"What did you just say?"

There was a long silence, a silence so thick that it was almost choking. Taiyang didn't move, his eyes locked on the table as if processing what Qrow had just said.

Qrow exhaled, running a hand through his hair, trying to organize his thoughts. "Look, Tai… I'm not a hundred percent sure. I'm not saying this is definite or anything. But I found clues. Enough to make me believe it's true."

Taiyang remained silent, his gaze not lifting from the table. Qrow wasn't sure if he should keep going, but the words kept spilling out.

"There's this girl," Qrow began. "Except for her platinum hair, she had the same eye color as Raven. Same damn Semblance, too. She even wears a mask, like Raven's, just… younger. I've seen her in the same areas where I think the tribe has been hiding."

Taiyang blinked, but his face still did not move. Qrow felt like he was suffocating and needed to expel everything.

"She's about Ruby's age," Qrow continued, almost stumbling over the comparison. "Maybe a year younger. I don't know, Tai. It's too much to be a coincidence. Same abilities, same attitude. Everything about her just screams Raven. And if that's the case…" He let the thought linger, waiting for Taiyang to react, but he didn't. Not a word. His expression stayed frozen, his shoulders tense as if trying to hold something back.

Qrow's frustration exploded as there was no reaction. "Look, you were the one who moved on, Tai. You married Summer and had Ruby. Maybe Raven did the same! Maybe she—" Qrow's voice stopped.

Taiyang's eyes finally lifted, meeting Qrow's. The blonde's face was still surprised, but he noticed that Qrow was in bad shape. He didn't speak for a moment; he just slowly nodded.

"Maybe she did have a reason to leave," Taiyang said, his voice low and even. "Maybe she replaced us, just like I replaced her."

Qrow winced at the word, but Taiyang's voice was weirdly calm now as if he was processing everything slowly and carefully. "Maybe we're both guilty of that."

The air in the room was heavy as years of wounds were resurfacing. Qrow's hand twitched on the table, but Taiyang's following words stopped him cold.

The blonde first sipped Qrow's fask again. "I have news too, Qrow," Taiyang said, his voice serious. "Something I've been meaning to tell you."

Taiyang sat back and breathed deeply, bracing himself for the next fall on the rollercoaster. The silence between the two hung as if both men were gathering the courage to speak.

"Ruby and Yang met someone at Beacon," Taiyang finally said with a calm voice that seemed to be calculated. "Her name's Clementine Branwen."

Qrow frowned immediately at the mention of the last name. "Branwen? The only Branwens should be Raven and me. Who the hell is Clementine?"

Taiyang nodded slowly as if expecting that answer. "Yeah. That's what Ruby and Yang thought, too. But here's the thing… she's like a replica of Yang."

Qrow blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"I mean," Taiyang continued, leaning forward, "she looks almost exactly like Yang when angry, except for her hair being short and not in fire."

Qrow's confusion only grew. "What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense."

Taiyang sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Remember when I was talking about that old mission earlier? The one with the blonde waitress? That mission was in the village where Clementine is from."

Qrow stared at him, and slowly, the pieces started falling into place in his mind. His heart skipped a beat as his stomach tightened. "Wait. Are you saying—?"

Taiyang nodded with a serious face. "She has your eyes, Qrow. Same last name. And she was born in the same village you went to on that mission. The age adds up perfectly."

Qrow shook his head, leaning back in his chair as if physically trying to push the idea away. "No. No, that's impossible. I don't have any kids."

Taiyang raised an eyebrow. "Don't you?"

"I'm telling you, Tai, I didn't… I couldn't have…" Qrow's voice faltered as he tried to reconcile what Taiyang was saying. The mission, the village… he'd been there, sure, and had a good night with the waitress too, but that should not mean.

Taiyang's gaze sharpened, and there was a biting edge to his voice now, though he kept it restrained. "Unless Raven gave birth to twins when Yang was born, and I somehow missed that, which I'm pretty damn sure didn't happen, then Clementine is your daughter, Qrow."

Qrow recoiled, the words hitting him like a punch to the gut. He wanted to deny it again, to argue, but the way Taiyang was looking at him, the way he was speaking, it was like he already knew.

"Tai, that's…" Qrow started, but Taiyang cut him off.

"She's your daughter, Qrow," Taiyang repeated more firmly this time. "I didn't want to believe it at first either, but all the signs are there. The same eyes, the same village, and she's got your last name. Hell, she's practically Yang's mirror image. But she isn't mine."

Qrow sat there, dumbfounded. The room seemed to close in around him, and he could feel his pulse quicken. Both hands were on his head, and both eyes were wide open.

"This doesn't make any sense," Qrow muttered, mostly to himself. "I… I don't remember anything like that. I didn't… I wouldn't…"

"Really, Qrow?" Taiyang said with a tired tone. "You had sex with many girls around. You don't think that someone may have got pregnant?"

"But that village was destroyed," said Qrow, trying to defend himself from the impossibility of being a father.

"A huntsman saved her," Taiyang said and then sighed again. "Only her. Her mother died before that, and her twin brother did not survive the destruction of the village."

Qrow's body was limped as if his energy had been stolen suddenly. His mind was racing with the information. 'Clementine Branwen… my daughter? I have a daughter?' Qrow thought.

Taiyang observed him, giving him a moment to absorb everything. After a long silence, Qrow finally spoke.

"I…" Qrow hesitated, but he shook his head again. "This is all so messed up."

Taiyang nodded grimly, his eyes never leaving Qrow's. "Yeah. It is."

/

"Are you sure of the change, Ozpin?" said General Ironwood, a tall, muscular, middle-aged man. He was wearing a white coat, and his boots were metal-reinforced. He was currently reading a paper with a student profile and a slight frown.

"General," started Professor Goodwitch, who was standing next to Ozpin, but General Ironwood interrupted her. He changed his frown for a small smile, "Glynda, drop the formality."

"I thought that we were discussing something serious." Replied the blonde professor.

"Please," Ozpin stepped in. "James, we have been following closely, and we think that is the best option."

"I understand. It's just that... the change came out of nowhere. Did something happen to"

"Nothing has happened," cut Ozpin. "But when you find a better option, you should be able to adapt and take the new lane ahead of you."

There was a small silence, but it was broken by Ironwood, "Ozpin," he began, "I understand that we have to consider all possibilities, but I'm still not convinced. The plan has been in motion for quite some time now. We chose her because of her skills, her leadership, and her undeniable talent. Changing it at this stage, especially after all the preparations, seems… unwise."

Ozpin took a slow sip of his hot coco before responding, his tone calm. "I understand your reservations, James. But recent developments have led me to reconsider. We must always be adaptable, especially when the stakes are this high."

Glynda nodded slightly, her gaze shifting to Ozpin. "She's proven herself in many ways, Ozpin. Her leadership is exemplary, and her sense of duty is unwavering. But," she hesitated for a moment, "there are still questions about her strength. This… undertaking requires more than just leadership."

Ironwood glanced between them, clearly still grappling with the idea. "I don't doubt her dedication or her ability to lead. But is she truly prepared for what we're asking? The one we initially considered is still the best in her generation, a natural choice for this responsibility."

Ozpin leaned forward slightly, his eyes thoughtful. "Strength comes in many forms, James. The one we initially chose has undeniable skill in combat, but this task isn't solely about raw power. It's about making the right decisions when it matters most, about holding firm in the face of unimaginable pressure. And in those aspects, our new candidate has shown remarkable promise."

Glynda's expression softened slightly as she spoke. "She may not be the strongest on her team, but she's always put her team first. They trust her implicitly, and she's led them through challenges that would have broken others. Her village… it's no small feat to protect your home from a horde of Grimm with so few resources. That speaks to her resilience and resourcefulness."

Ironwood frowned, the lines on his face deepening. "But she's still an unknown quantity in many respects. We had our reasons for choosing the first candidate; her experience, her recognition, and her ability to inspire others on a large scale. What if this new choice isn't up to the challenge?"

Ozpin smiled faintly, with a knowing look in his eyes. "James, sometimes it's the unknowns that surprise us the most. She may not have the same fame or reputation, but she has something far more valuable: the trust and respect of those around her. She's proven herself even when no one was watching."

Glynda stepped closer to the desk, her gaze intense. "She's one of the most dedicated students I've ever seen. Always the first to volunteer and always there to support her peers. She's earned her place here through hard work and determination, not just natural talent. That kind of perseverance is exactly what we need."

Ironwood sighed, leaning back in his chair as he mulled over their words. "I understand your points, but this is a massive shift. Are we truly ready to place this kind of responsibility on her shoulders?"

Ozpin met his gaze evenly. "I believe she is the right choice, James. We have to consider not just who can wield this power but who will wield it wisely. The first candidate may have been the obvious choice, but this decision requires more than just what's obvious. It requires us to look deeper, to see the potential that others might overlook."

There was a long pause as Ironwood considered Ozpin's words. Finally, he nodded slowly. "If you believe this is the best course of action, I'll trust your judgment. You have never let us down."

Ozpin's smile disappeared for a moment. "Thank you, James. I believe that in her, we've found someone who can truly rise to the occasion. Someone who can carry this burden with the care and responsibility it demands."

Ironwood and Glynda nodded, but in Glynda's head were still small doubts.

Ozpin turned slightly in his chair and watched the screen displaying the image of a young woman with short blonde hair and piercing black eyes.